1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an adapter for inserting a card containing an integrated circuit into a card slot of an electronic apparatus such as a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), a group of manufacturers and vendors formed to promote a common standard for PC Card-based peripherals, has introduced a standard specifying the configuration of a PC card, the dimensions of a PCMCIA slot in the housing of a computer adapted to receive a PC card, and the configuration of a female connector inside the slot which is designed to hold a male connector located on one edge of the PC card. A card of this type can be installed directly in the card slot of a computer.
However, a card of the type provided with contacts on its surface (hereinafter called an IC card) is also in use, and installation of an IC card in a PCMCIA slot designed to receive a PC card requires a card adapter. An example of an IC card is the so-called "smart card".
A known card adapter consists of a base having contacts on one surface which engage contacts on a surface of the IC card when the IC card is placed on the base. In this known card adapter, a connector is provided on an edge of the base which connects with the connector inside a PCMCIA slot in the computer housing. The sum of the base thickness and the IC card thickness is limited by the height of the slot in the computer.
In operation, the card adapter is inserted in the slot in the computer housing so that the connector on the base engage the connector inside the slot. The IC card is then inserted in the slot so that it slides over the base until its contacts engage the contacts on the surface of the base thereby making electrical contact with the computer circuitry.
This known card adapter is susceptible to various electrical failures. For example, the card may be inadvertently touched because it is exposed in the region between the card adapter and the electronic apparatus. As a result, data being transferred between the card and the electronic apparatus may be lost or altered. Moreover, it is possible to withdraw the card from the card adapter during data transmission, and such exposure may result in the destruction of the integrated circuit embedded in the card.
Further, since insertion of the card into the card adapter is implemented by sliding the card on the base, the contacts on the card rub against the contacts on the base. Therefore, the contacts on the card and on the base tend to wear out quickly. Also, the contacts on the card cannot always be successfully connected with the contacts on the base because of dust which, during rubbing, adheres to the contacts. Another difficulty with the known card adapter is that the pressure between the contacts on the card and the contacts on the base is not stable because no means are provided for tightly connecting the card and base contacts. Consequently, successful connection of the card and base contacts cannot always be achieved. There is also the possibility that, since the base contacts are exposed and touched easily, they may be destroyed when the card adapter is not installed in the card slot.